A gift for my ailing grandmother, who passed away shortly after I gave it to her. Based on the pattern Bows and Braids by Jocelyn Ueng. Quilted by Sarah Wilson of Crinklelove. Measures 68"x58".

Soft Geese for Grandma, hand-stitched label

completed in 2015

Nico's baby quilt. 2015

A quilt made from shot cottons, for my friend's baby Nico. Designed and pieced by me. Quilted by Nikki Maroon. 49"x35".

Nico's baby quilt, detail.

completed in 2015

Simple Shapes Alphabet quilt. 2015

Quilt made to showcase the Simple Shapes Alphabet I designed. There are three types of pieced letters featured here, Upper Case, Lower Case and Super Condensed Upper Case. Quilted by Nikki Maroon. Measures 77"x93".

Let's Go Outside. 2015

A mini quilt I made for a swap between the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild and the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild. Measures 24"x24". Quilted by Nikki Maroon.

Let's Go Outside

Here you can see the full beauty of Nikki Maroon's quilting on my mini quilt. I love what she did.

Let's Go Outside detail.

Detail of the quilting by Nikki Maroon. She made an outdoor scene on the entire mini, with grass and flowers on the bottom, and clouds and sun on top.

Marigold Quilt. 2015

I was asked to test this pattern for Lindsey Neill of Pen and Paper Patterns. I chose solid fabrics and quilted it myself. I used wool batting to make it extra puffy. Crib-size quilt.

Leftovers Ala Gwen. 2015

A quilt made with leftover blocks from another quilt, with a design inspired by a Gwen Marston quilt. Quilted by Nikki Maroon. Measures 81" x 65".

Leftovers ala Gwen, back of quilt

The back of the quilt features pieced words, Can't Stop Won't Stop.

Wedding Quilt for Susan and Alex. 2015

A quilt made for a an old friend on the occasion of her wedding. Pieced in an improv style.

Wedding quilt for Susan and Alex, detail.

Exit on the Left. 2015

Made for and exhibited at the International Quilt Festival. The challenge presented was to work with the friendship star block and make a modern composition. Measures 36"x36".

Exit on the Left, detail.

modern hexie runner, 2014

A gift for my aunt and uncle. Machine-appliqued hexagons.

modern hexie table runner, detail

A gift for my aunt and uncle. 2014

Waterfront Park Hexie quilt. 2014

An experiment with English paper pieced hexagons, scattered on a background of the Waterfront Park line of fabric. Twin sized. Quilted by Nikki Maroon.

Waterfront Park Hexie quilt detail.

An experiment with English paper pieced hexagons, scattered on a background of the Waterfront Park line of fabric. Twin sized. Quilted by Nikki Maroon.

Liberty of London Plusses and Stars, 2014

Modern quilters love Instagram, and some like to participate in quilt swaps to get to know new quilters. This quilt was made for my partner in a recent swap organized on Instagram. I looked through her photos and tried to determine what kind of quilt she might like to receive. I chose the Liberty of London fabrics and the plus design based on what I saw in her account. I added tiny wonky stars in the center of the plusses to add interest and some more intricate piecing. This mini was quilted for me by Nikki Maroon. Measures 24" x 24".

Layout was inspired by this quilt by Megan: http://citystitches.blogspot.com/2014/03/dads-pelvis-quilt.html

Quilt for our Bed. 2014

I have been a quilter for 5 years and had never made a quilt for ourbed. I decided it was time. I was inspired by Jen Carlton Bailly's phenomenal "5HTP Squared" quilt, which used quarter circles in a way that almost looked like letters but weren't. I decided to run with that inspiration and actually make letters from quarter circles, squares, and triangles. The words are something my husband and I say to each other every night before drifting off. I figure, if I stay up too late sewing, now the quilt can say it for me. Quilted by Nikki Maroon. 98" square.

Quilt for Our Bed detail. 2014

Here you can see some of Nikki Maroon's gorgeous quilting.

Triangle baby quilt, 2014

A baby quilt for a friend. Made with green and blue fabrics from my stash, plus a dash of red and orange. Quilted simply, with straight lines.

Sunset Waves, 2014

I answered Sherri Lynn Wood's call to create a quilt using one of her improv scores from her book Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. I chose colors that appealed to my eye but also had a high variance in value. Once I had them all in place, the colors reminded me of a summer sunset, which inspired me to name the piece SunsetWaves. Working with Sherri Lynn's score was extremely challenging but also exciting. The beauty of improvisation is that it allows you to push through some fears and limits you have placed on yourself. I love the result.

64" x 85"

Sunset Waves, detail

I answered Sherri Lynn Wood's call to create a quilt using one of her improv scores from her book Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. I chose colors that appealed to my eye but also had a high variance in value. Once I had them all in place, the colors reminded me of a summer sunset, which inspired me to name the piece SunsetWaves. Working with Sherri Lynn's score was extremely challenging but also exciting. The beauty of improvisation is that it allows you to push through some fears and limits you have placed on yourself. I love the result.

64" x 85"

Somewhere in the City. 2014

This quilt was created for the 2014 International Quilt Festival. The theme of the show was “Modern in the City.” My inspiration was an amazing brick wall that I once photographed my kids against. I couldn’t recall exactly where it was located, thus the title of the quilt. 36" x 36"

Somewhere in the City detail. 2014

This quilt was created for the 2014 International Quilt Festival. The theme of the show was “Modern in the City.” My inspiration was an amazing brick wall that I once photographed my kids against. I couldn’t recall exactly where it was located, thus the title of the quilt.

The detail shown here is some hand-quilting in the shape of the Chicago skyline.

Christmas mini quilt. 2013.

I started by making red and green wonky stars, as described in Liberated Quiltmaking II by Gwen Marston. Then I made some log cabin blocks in various sizes. Finally, I put them together like a puzzle, adding strips of extra fabric where needed. I finished it off with a colorful border. 20" x 32"

Halloween mini quilt. 2014

Here I used drunkard’s path blocks to mix and match some of my favorite Halloween fabrics. The big swatches on top and bottom showcase two of the larger-scale prints. 19" x 27"

Fall mini quilt. 2014

Another in my series of seasonal mini quilts, this piece was inspired by the colors of fall. I used Kathy's Block from Liberated Quiltmaking II by Gwen Marston. I used a combination of machine and hand quilting to finish this quilt. 21" x 28"

Summer mini quilt. 2014

Part of a series of seasonal mini quilts that hang in my entry way. This quilt was improvisationally pieced, drawing on techniques learned from Sherri Lynn Wood. 20" x 29"

Spring mini quilt. 2014

A quilt to symbolize spring. These seasonal quilts are made to hang in my entry hallway. I sewed strips of color into six panels, three grey and three green in graduating tones. I increased the number of inserts as the panels moved up; I wanted it to look like spring exploding up from the dark grey and gloom of winter. I used a technique called slice and insert piecing learned from Jacquie Gehring and I also did some appliqué over the top, to add even more pops of color. 18" x 23"

Winter mini quilt. 2014

I wanted to convey the cold, stark emptiness of winter, and also the warmth of the season that comes from within (whether it’s within ourselves or within our physical homes). The yellow section represents the center of that warmth, which then radiates out into the cool whites, blues, and grays that comprise the rest of the piece. My own design, based on the Exquisite Block found in Gwen Marston's Liberated Quiltmaking II. 19" x 31"

Improv Christmas quilt for us. 2013

Improv style quilt... Liberated stars were my jumping off point. From there I added low-volume log cabin blocks and filled in the blanks with various strips and squares. 93 x 97

Story Quilt 5. 2013

Pattern is from The Modern Quilt Workshop, called Once Upon a Time. The idea is to use the paths to move from square to square, making up a story as you go. Fun, right? :) I made this as a gift for friends. It's nap sized.

Story Quilt 5. 2013

Pattern is from The Modern Quilt Workshop, called Once Upon a Time. The idea is to use the paths to move from square to square, making up a story as you go. Fun, right? :) I made this as a gift for friends. It's nap sized.

Story Quilt 4. 2013

Pattern is from The Modern Quilt Workshop, called Once Upon a Time. The idea is to use the paths to move from square to square, making up a story as you go. Fun, right? :) I made this as a gift for friends. It's nap sized.

Improv Christmas Quilt for Mom. 2013

Improv style quilt... Liberated stars were my jumping off point. From there I added low-volume log cabin blocks and filled in the blanks with various strips and squares. 84 x 66

Never Stop Learning. 2013

I created a stencil and used it to paint the images onto fabric. Then i quilted by hand around the images. This quilt was inspired by an illustration by Hannes Beer. It is hanging in the library of Holmes Elementary School in Oak Park, Illinois. Measures approximately 25" square.

Never Stop Learning detail. 2013

I created a stencil and used it to paint the images onto fabric. Then i quilted by hand around the images. This quilt was inspired by an illustration by Hannes Beer. It is hanging in the library of Holmes Elementary School in Oak Park, Illinois. Measures approximately 25" square.

Never Stop Learning detail. 2013

I created a stencil and used it to paint the images onto fabric. Then i quilted by hand around the images. This quilt was inspired by an illustration by Hannes Beer. It is hanging in the library of Holmes Elementary School in Oak Park, Illinois. Measures approximately 25" square.

Sylvia's baby quilt. 2013

A quilt for my niece. Based on a pattern from Two Little Banshees, which called for 6 fat quarters.

Sylvia's quilt, embroidery detail. 2013

A quilt for my niece. Based on a pattern from Two Little Banshees, which called for 6 fat quarters.

Story Quilt 1. 2012

Pattern is from The Modern Quilt Workshop, called Once Upon a Time. The idea is to use the paths to move from square to square, making up a story as you go. Fun, right? :) I made this as a gift for friends. It's nap sized.

Story Quilt 2. 2013

Pattern is from The Modern Quilt Workshop, called Once Upon a Time. The idea is to use the paths to move from square to square, making up a story as you go. Fun, right? :) I made this as a gift for friends. It's nap sized.

Donald Raine's baby quilt. 2011

This was my third quilt. It was a gift for a friend. I used a pattern from Two Little Banshees, which called for 6 fat quarters.

Donald Raine's quilt, folded. 2011

This was my third quilt. It was a gift for a friend. I used a pattern from Two Little Banshees, which called for 6 fat quarters.

Owen's baby quilt. 2011

This was my second quilt. It was a gift for my nephew. I used a pattern from Two Little Banshees, which called for 6 fat quarters.

Owen's quilt, folded. 2011

This was my second quilt. It was a gift for my nephew. I used a pattern from Two Little Banshees, which called for 6 fat quarters.

Penny's quilt. 2009

I made this quilt from Bend the Rules Sewing pattern called Easy Lap Quilt. It is my first quilt, and my first big sewing project. This was a gift for friends expecting their first baby.